


A Fated Journey

by inkedauthority



Series: 30 AU prompts [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Elf, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Elf Culture & Customs, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2019-01-01 03:03:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12147249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkedauthority/pseuds/inkedauthority
Summary: On the run from Kings and Queens who seek elf blood for its healing properties, Princess Emma of the Snow Kingdom encounters a decorated warrior, Regina of the Mill Kingdom, who has a debt to the Snow Kingdom and will do anything to alleviate it- including travelling to a safehouse with Emma despite her stiff exterior that threatens to break through with shining affection for the woman that decidedly isn't her mate.With too much death seen between them and the King's guard seeking out any living elves, Emma and Regina are forced to work together until truths are revealed on both sides, a debt paid and mate found in the most inconceivable of ways.Swan Queen Fantasy AU featuring Elves, Soulmates and Royals on the run.





	A Fated Journey

**Author's Note:**

> This is AU prompt 2 which was fantasy. I hope the things I wrote make sense because I took it and ran with it in this whole universe with elves and some other small aspects of other (to come) prompts.
> 
> There is a flash forward, and then flash back scene somewhere in the middle. I think its pretty easy to see, but if not, let me know so I can make it a little more obvious.
> 
> If any of the elf culture is wrong, I am sorry, I went with my own made-up cultures for them in this universe for half the things anyways.
> 
> Warnings for some gruesome imagery and a physical combat.

** 30 AU PROMPTS CHALLENGE. **

** AU 2: FANTASY **

** A FATED JOURNEY by SIRENMISTRESS. **

 

Emma pulled back her hood just a little, green eyes surveying her surroundings before she emerged from the overgrowth, deeming it safe to walk on the main road for a while.

Being an elf in today’s day and age was dangerous at best, Kings and Queens far too eager to cut noses and ears to add to terrible smelling potions that made one look more youthful; but that was only the leftovers that seemed to work for vanity. The real treasure was an elf’s blood, the red liquid containing enough healing power within one body to bring back the dead if so desired. Emma had heard of her kin being strung upside down and drained slowly, their blood used sparingly and at a high cost whilst being fed the richest of foods to keep the supply coming. It was why she hadn’t seen another elf in twelve days, all of them leaving for higher country or in hiding from masked bandits pretending not to be the King’s guard.

Her booted feet crunched fallen leaves as she walked, blonde hair pushed up into a bun to prevent the golden shine of it attracting more attention than it was worth. The last time she had let it loose to dry after a bath, she had been chased down and held against a tree, a prince from a far off kingdom nearly taking her head as his prize when an arrow went soaring through his chest, the red of his blood staining her clothes as he fell to the floor in a crumpled mess. She hadn’t seen her saviour that day, but she did yell out a ‘Thank you!’ to which the only reply she received was a huffed ‘idiot’.

Washing the blood off her clothes had proven to be difficult, copper staining the white of her dress and eliciting frustrated tears until she fell asleep, awaking the next day to a black dress folded neatly atop a black cloak in her size. Emma remembered how she had waved her hand over the items to check for any spells that might be used to trap her, but when she found none the clothing was pulled over her form and the relief from wearing something clean was whispered in another ‘Thank you’, this one without any answer.

The hem of the dress as she walked became dirtied with the leaves and sand, but Emma kept going, knowing that just beyond the Eastern border she would find ships bought specifically for elves escape, one that would take her somewhere safe, somewhere she could let her hair down and find a mate at long last.

Still, the weather was nice and dry before an inevitable storm that evening, and Emma knew she had to get a move on if she wanted to make good time. Had she not been thinking about her destination and instead focused on the journey, the blonde elf would have heard the unmistakable sound of hooves and a carriage rapidly approaching.

“Get out of the road!” A voice harshly whispered, jarring Emma out of her thoughts, but by the time she looked behind her, the carriage was already in sight, guards leaping off the sides to run toward her, royal crests on their armour and fear rooting her to the spot.

“Get out! Get out!” The voice was no longer a whisper, instead that of an alarmed shout, and before Emma could think about her next move, a body was colliding into hers, dragging her by the wrist into the woods where their coats flapped at their speed and guards turned abruptly to follow them.

“You idiot! Never walk on the main road ever!” The voice, that of a woman, never turned to look toward her, instead she seemed to be focused on the path ahead, twisting and turning them further into overgrown areas not touched by man.

Words failed Emma when she tried to defend herself, her feet tripping and hands scrambling to hold onto the arm that caught her, a dress not unlike her own pressing briefly against her before turning back around to lead them away from the sound of metal swords being unsheathed.

The elf understood then, that this woman had been following her, had been taking care of her from unseen spots and was now risking her cover to save Emma’s head. The first thought that came to mind was the fact that this woman wanted her elf blood for herself, saving her until she reached a more transportable area, but when they took a particularly sharp turn and the hood of the woman’s black cloak fell back, Emma gasped out in surprise.

A black plait fell down the woman’s back and disappeared into her coat, jewels of a decorated soldier weaved into the intricate braid, no doubt running all the way down and up to her forehead as well. This woman who had been keeping an eye on her had similar pointed ears that marked an elf, and Emma crossed out the twelve days without elven company and hoped she wouldn’t have to start keeping count again.

Tugged behind a large tree and pushed into a slit in its bark, Emma scrambled for space in the dark hovel, her breath laboured and eyes blinking as the other elf closed the slit with magic, her breath hitting Emma’s cheek as they waited for the guards to leave.

They could hear a rumble of arguments just outside, a search being made thoroughly through potential hiding spots and some of the guards moving forwards should they have run onward. The King’s guards kept the search up for an hour, elf blood too precious to simply give up on, and Emma found herself drafting off to sleep after her count of two thousand five hundred and sixty one, a sturdy shoulder too close not to let her head drop forward on.

When she awoke, gently shaken by a hand, Emma had felt revived despite only fifteen minutes of sleep, the warmth of another body more than enough to have her feel safe in the comfort of her dreams.

Blinking blearily once they exited the tree, Emma breathed in fresh air and found that it was rather harsh to her nose, the scent of flowers and hay a far more welcomed perfume from the skin of her companion than that of sweaty guards that had traipsed through the forest. Still, it was peaceful to know that the guards would never come back to search for them here, most likely convinced they had run to the border in the opposite direction of their safehouse.

“What were you thinking?!” The moment of stillness was interrupted by a shrill, Emma jumping out of her skin to back up against the tree, palms on either side of her pressed to the rough bark.

For the first time since she had seen the prince with hunger in his eyes, Emma came face to face with her saviour, had seen eyes again, although compared to the lustful blue of the now dead man, this fearful brown was breath taking.

“I—uh”

“You don’t have an answer do you?” The woman continued, hands flying as she spoke, lips pursed and curling into a snarl only to smooth out and sneer at her again. Emma was right, this elf did have jewellery of a decorated warrior, tiny silver encased emeralds beading her hairline and disappearing down to her sides where it was pulled into her plait. There was a sword at her hip with a large emerald on the hilt, a bow strung across her torso and a handful of what looked to be rapidly depleting arrows in a makeshift satchel on her back.

“Thank you?” Emma said softly, although it came out as a sheepish question instead, her shoulders scrunching up to her ears in a childish apology she hadn’t yet grown out of.

The woman for her part simply smacked her forehead, head shaking back and forth in a fondness Emma didn’t quite understand. “You idiot” The dark haired woman muttered, and it took all of Emma not to widen her grin.

“Are you going to the harbour?” She asked innocently, trying to tamp down the other dozen questions she knew for sure the woman wouldn’t want to answer.

“The one at Duskridden valley?” Emma nodded in response, “that’s been seized. The last boat that attempted to leave had gotten captured. The King’s guard is a permanent feature there.” The forlorn look on Emma’s face must’ve elicited a sigh from the other elf, two fingers pressing into the rough cloak by her arm to gain her attention again.

“I’m headed to Pearlwaters, there’s a safehouse there in the company of a witch. She apparently has spells that can morph our appearances to look like humans. I hear her prices are steep, but it’s the only option for us few left I’m afraid” The remorse on the elf’s face was enough for Emma to see this new option as a ray of hope, at least now she won’t be travelling alone—although she hadn’t been alone all this time had she?

“When do we leave?” Emma asked eagerly, eyes wide and a smile on pink lips.

“I leave at dawn. _You_ can leave whenever you want to” The dark haired elf turned to leave, hiking her satchel up higher on her shoulder and dropping an arrow in the process. She kept walking, oblivious to her loss, although Emma could only run forward and snatch up the arrow, the pointed end stuck out at the other elf dangerously close to her neck.

A gasp had Emma quickly turn the arrow over, her stance a little less defensive when she put the weapon in the other woman’s hand. “You dropped this” She said softly, a little more sincere now that she knew her travel would consist of only herself. If this was the last chance she had at showing generosity, then Emma was going to take full advantage of it.

“Thank you for saving me the other day… and today, and for the dress” Taking a deep breath, Emma put on her best smile and held out her hand, the formality that of humans, but Emma decided that touching fingertips with a woman who seemed so guarded wouldn’t appreciate the psychic elven greeting.

“My name is Emma, I come from the Snow Kingdom—or what’s left of it anyways”

Surprisingly, her hand was taken, the smooth velvet voice of her companion taking on something nostalgic as she spoke, “Regina, Mill Kingdom—or what’s left of it” she mocked, although her smile seemed tight and her eyes betrayed her obvious sadness.

This woman, Regina, she seemed to look for something within Emma, searching her green eyes and pale skin that peeked through the sleeves of her cloak. When she didn’t find what she was looking for, the sadness in her eyes only intensified, turning the light brown of her pupils into a dull black that seemed empty. “We should travel together”

“I thought you were going to go your own way?” Emma asked, keeping her excitement at bay.

“I have a debt to the Snow kingdom, by taking you to safety I will consider myself free of it”, nodding to her own words, Regina seemed to agree with herself before looking over to the forest, her sword unsheathed and satchel of arrows handed over to Emma. “We shall make camp here tonight, tomorrow at first light we will move North”

Awkwardly holding the bag of arrows, Emma pushed back her hood and watched as Regina cut away shrubs and long grass, making a clearing for them near the large tree and chopping down branches of short growth for a fire. Before long they had a small fire going, some fruits shared between them and their cloaks used as blankets on the dry floor.

It was several hours later when Emma felt the first drop of rain, nose scrunching and body turning to get away from the cold feeling of discomfort, but by the time her sleep induced mind could understand what was happening, there was a sheet of rain pouring down on the both of them, darkness shadowing their frantic movements as they both scrambled to retrieve their belongings and press themselves into the tree once more.

“Great” Regina rasped, head leaning back against the tree. It was too small for them to move much in, their bodies pressed together in a cramp that left little leg room unless they curled against each other tightly.

Pushing weapons and water bottles to the side, Emma began to peel away soaked clothes from her body, knowing that should she keep them on, that the disease inflicted due to the cold would kill them both. “We have to get dry” She said over the rain, squeezing out their cloaks near the little slit in the tree and rolling them up to press against the opening to prevent more water from coming in.

“I will not undress in front of you!” Regina snapped, aghast at the very idea.

“Its dark, I can barely see my own hands, let alone you!” Slipping her dress over her head and draping it across Regina’s bow, Emma kept her petticoat on for her modesty and leaned back to try and catch a few hours of sleep. Regina for her part blinked disbelievingly at the very notion, but slowly removed her dress and leather pants she had on underneath, keeping her underwear and vest on that thankfully hadn’t gotten that wet in the rain.

It was uncomfortable feeling someone so close to her, but the conditions for which she had to bear her pain had Regina stifle a sigh and pull her knees up to her chest, eyes closing but sleep hanging on the edge just long enough to hear her companion snore lightly before she too drifted off.

The first thing Regina felt when she awoke was wetness on her toes and a tickle of something on her neck.

Blinking rapidly to clear the sleep from her eyes, the dark haired warrior leaned up to see her foot had somehow stuck out of the slit of the tree during the night, dew making her ankle cold with the morning fog, and golden hair splayed out across her chest which was attached to a pretty face nestled between her shoulder and neck. Regina had to admit the feeling of being held was nice, just the way she imagined after her mother had told her she was to be wed, a betrothal to a golden haired princess from the Snow Kingdom already fixed.

Elves were different from humans in that regard, she thought, that they were so in tune with each other that elders chose their mates based on their psychic energy, an energy that had to be perfect in order to create life from love and thought alone. There was no need for intercourse between elves, magic creating children instead of bodily pleasures, but married couples were encouraged to explore each other in such ways. It strengthened the bond they said, made an elf feel safe in their vulnerabilities with their mate. Things as such were sacred with them, not in the way the King took hundreds of men and women to bed, bleed the veins of ancient creatures and ruled only for his guilty pleasures. If she ever came face to face with him, Regina would take a blade to his throat.

Moving out from beneath the blonde elf, Regina wiped her wet foot and slipped on her boots, grumbling all the while at the mud that stuck to them whilst pulling up her leather pants and shaking her wet coat out. She would have to let them dry as they walked. They wouldn’t be able to use their cloaks without getting sick, which meant keeping out of main roads and unfortunately removing the jewellery in her hair. It was the one thing she refused to change about herself whilst on the run, but for survival…

“Morning” Emma yawned, stretching once she had dressed within the tree and stepped out, oblivious to Regina’s inner thoughts. “We’ll have to cover our tracks in this mud. I can do it with my magic if you want?”

Nodding to Emma’s suggestion, Regina pulled on her weapons and stuffed her dress in her bag with her arrows, knowing that should she wear it over her vest and pants, that the material would only gather mud at the hem.

“Our cloaks are wet, we will have to wear our hair loose and remove the jewellery from them” Her fingers worked quickly to undo her plait, the string of emeralds fastened down her neck instead and hidden from sight, but what was also hidden behind Regina’s distant gaze was the way Emma’s cheeks turned rosy at the sight of the elf’s now framed face, dark waves of hair covering pointed ears and cascading down her back like a black ocean.

“I removed mine a long time ago” Emma answered softly, a small smile on her face to counteract Regina’s distressed frown, “And you look beautiful like this. Still a scary warrior beneath it all” her smile widened, her head tilting to the side to indicate their move toward Pearlwaters.

Regina smiled back, following Emma out of the forest and passing the water bottle forward once she was done. If Regina had been looking carefully, she wouldn’t have only missed the way Emma blushed at her changed appearance, but also the jewellery around her neck similar to her own, pink diamonds glittering its secret code for Princess of the Snow Kingdom.

 

(x)(x)(x)

 

They had been walking for hours, only stopping once when Regina spotted a few edible mushrooms she held over her palm blazing with a small flame, lunch floating to her companion when they were cooked, the little treat eaten as Emma swept behind them with her own brand of honeyed magic to dust off their trail.

Pearlwaters was further than Duskridden Valley, and Emma’s feet could attest to that. She was tired of walking, but somehow, in the companionable silence offered to her by the steady strength Regina radiated, Emma didn’t feel quite as cranky as she usually would have. The mission to reach safety wasn’t only for her anymore, it was for the woman she could hopefully call her friend.

Still, the silence was allowing her energy to drain, magic pulling her further into the prospect of rest the more she used. “Why did you follow me all those days?” Emma asked, desperate to provide herself with some form of distraction as they walked.

“We were going the same way” Regina answered stiffly, pulling her satchel closer up her shoulder, the grip on her bow tight.

“And yet you preferred to travel alone when I said we should go to Pearlwaters _together_ , in the _same direction_ ” stressing the last end of the sentence, Emma hopped instead of walked, energy returning the more she focused on the other woman, the more she noticed about her, the more she stared at the curve of that muscle on her arm that Emma desperately wished she had herself.

“I like travelling alone because I prefer to walk in silence. Your incessant yapping is making reconsider our deal” stopping abruptly to stare at Emma, Regina’s narrowed gaze of warning morphed into one of concern.

“Why didn’t you tell me your magic is draining your energy?” Touching her fingers to Emma’s cheek, Regina pulled back abruptly at her affectionate gesture and instead pushed Emma down onto a flat boulder nearby. “Rest, I’ll fetch us some fresh fruit to eat.”

“Regina I’m fine!” Emma whined, not wanting to seem weak in the face of someone so strong.

“No you’re not!” The elf roared, fists clenched at her sides and eyes suspiciously shiny. “I have seen elves, _good_ elves die from being idiotic heroes, I can’t—I can’t…” _lose someone else_ , went unsaid, but Emma heard it all the same, guilt in her eyes making her remorseful for being so callous when death seemed to follow their kind. She didn’t know how much Regina had seen as a warrior, far more than her she supposed.

“I’m sorry” Emma whispered, reaching out to touch Regina’s fist only to have the hand pulled from her grasp, a clearing of the other elf’s throat putting an end to their conversation.

“Stay. I’ll be back with refreshments”, turning on her heel, Regina wiped away tears that fell as she walked, back turned to Emma and eyes not quite looking for fruit.

She didn’t know how long she had been walking through the woods unfocused, her thoughts flipping between her own ruined kingdom, her family that had been either taken or killed, and that of her betrothed’s lands that seemed to swim in the red of blood. Regina had been one of the first lot of elves to fight against the King’s demands, her sword too quick, temper flaring as she marched onwards through the violent war. Her older sister Zelena had been by her side the entire time, until she wasn’t, until Regina had felt herself pushed within the silt of a tree, hidden as too many guards grabbed a hold of her red haired sister to take as a prize to the king who had once proposed to the first heir of the Mill kingdom.

She loathed to think what had become of her sibling, loathed the fact that she was too injured to help, to save Zelena when it really mattered. As for the Snow kingdom… well, Regina had only come across drained corpses and a golden haired princess with sapphires in her hair slumped over her throne, bloodless and unmoving.

She couldn’t save her fiancée, couldn’t save her kingdom, her family. It haunted her, it—an orange tree. Oranges; she could use oranges couldn’t she?

Setting her weapons on the ground, Regina moved seamlessly up the branches, plucking and dropping the ripe fruit onto her coat laid out on the ground below. There was nothing she could do about the past, but there was something she could do now for the girl from a kingdom she left her heart at.

 

(x)(x)(x)

 

Emma waited patiently for Regina to return, knowing that whatever demons haunted the warrior would be there for a long time, and a walk into the depths of greenery, if it _could_ , would help immensely—for herself, and for the journey they still had ahead of them.

During the minutes of waiting, of counting the leaves that rustled and jumping at the sound of them, Emma had slumped against the boulder, eyes closing to the simple hum of the forest around her. She was acutely aware of the dangers that lurked within the bushes should she become easy bait, but the energy her magic had drained from her demanded some form of payment that resulted in restless dreams morphed from gruesome memory.

She had dreamt of her mother, Queen Snow, aptly named after the kingdom to which she was born to serve, approach her in her bedchambers where she peered out the window at happily chirping birds. “Daughter” Snow said easily, chiding in the way she pulled Emma from the window and closed it behind her, the cold air from outside would only serve to make the princess sick with her currently damp hair.

“What is it mother?” Emma asked, a permanent smile on her face, fingers brushing through her curls to untangle the wet strands.

“The elders have found you a mate!” The excitement to which her mother produced such information had Emma almost dismiss the possibility, knowing that should she indeed come of time where a mate would be found, in her head, she always pictured her mother as despondent to her eventual leaving.

“And where would they have found me one?”

“Oh, Emma, she’s perfect, you would get on handsomely! I’m sure the M--” As always, the blast of a wrecking ball bowling its way through her bedroom window, knocking her mother through the air as if she were nothing, pieces of stone raining down on her from the impact, would jar Emma awake.

She had gone over those words time and time again, wondered if her mother moving her away from the window was a result of a deep rooted maternal instinct that lead her to see this day, to see brown eyes staring intently at her with such concern, she almost felt pity for the loss such an emotion had on her.

“Are you alright?” Regina asked, her touch distant, her coat bundled up beside her with an orange poking out.

“I’m fine” Emma could only rasp, a hand running down her face and through her loose hair. She had only seen one person from her family die so brutally, but she was sure that the rest had perished just as easily with the screams that seemed to originate from within the castle itself.

“We should move if we want to make good time. We’ve lost enough already” Despite Regina’s sympathy regarding Emma’s state, she was rough in ways that had the princess yearn for either loneliness or better company. She wondered whether Regina had family of her own, whether the loss of them had made her callous in her interactions with others the way Emma had noticed she was adopting. She doubted her own family would be proud of her now, of the heritage she had tossed away by hiding under debris of stone and only emerging after the screaming had stopped.

Her heritage, Emma tried to remember, consisted of father, mother, twin and a network of people she was born to serve. It was the hierarchy of elders that approved which elf was to lead, and which elf was to follow. Her mother was the only child to King Leopold and the elders deemed her fit enough to step up to her father’s throne—the same people however saw Emma as incapable of leading the Snow kingdom and instead named her younger twin Elsa the heir, and Emma was just fine with trusting their judgement, knowing their foresight to be cleverly used, especially in the case of her parents.

Her father, David, was a shepherd by birth and had found himself naturally skilled with a sword by the time he had come into contact with her mother. From there, with Snow’s good recommendation and his unwavering loyalty to her, David had earned his way up ranks until the elders decided his doe eyes and sickening longing for Snow had gone on long enough to appease their petty games of suffering usually induced upon those with too much passion.

It was that passion, most elves said, that had David and Snow bare two heirs within minutes of each other rather than the one many predicted. Both girls looked very much alike, their mannerisms and personalities similar unless one got to know the twins as individuals that they made of point of being after turning thirteen, their own jewels weaved into their hair to announce title and rank. Elsa, a tamer personality than Emma had icy blue eyes like her father, his longer jaw and her mother’s mild temperament that drew many an admirer to her. Emma on the other hand had her mother’s green eyes and square jaw, her bubbly personality drawing not many suitors who found her too hard to keep up with, but rather children of all ages and interest to entertain them.

Most were certain that it would take someone well disciplined or wildly out of balance to mate Emma, her match much harder to predict than Elsa who seemed content to have a silent, secretive love that most wrote poetry about. It came as a rather large shock to the kingdom then, when a mate for Emma was announced much before Elsa’s by the elders who were quite delighted that the mischievous golden haired princess would be wed soon enough and shipped off to a kingdom that would treat her like a breath of fresh air. The elders were sure, the match between a temperamental Regina and wildly inappropriate Emma would balance them both out with each other, the child in their future, should they want one, the better of them both.

But, even now as Emma placed her hand in Regina’s to be helped up, her personality having lost the spark it carried pre-war, and Regina a much more patient yet tortured woman, the elders would still be pleased at their match, watching with hungry eyes at the way Regina looked over Emma for any sign of discomfort, and the way Emma seemed to understand Regina’s bitter words of scolding as the affection it was wrapped up in.

 

(x)(x)(x)

 

“It’s getting dark”

“ _Hmm_ ”

“Should we camp here for the night?”

“Shhh”

“Regina, just tell me instead of—”

“shhh!”

“I will not shush!”

“EMMA!”

The sound of a whizzing arrow was the first thing Emma registered, and then the warmth of a wetness that seemed to press against her. Everything had been fine, they were walking silently, the forest dense enough to hide them, their cloaks long since dried and on their backs, and the oranges spilling— _the oranges_.

 

(x)(x)(x)

 

“Are you alright?” Regina asked, her attention on the blonde elf who looked worse for wear, her hand on her arm, the tenseness of it worrying her.

“I’m fine” Emma responded, although the weak attempt to sound stronger than she was didn’t convince Regina.

She waited for a few more minutes, her hand still on Emma’s arm, and the warmth of the limb seeming to thaw her emotions out to be able to focus on the needs of an elf she could actually help. She scrambled for something to say, something comforting her sister would have no problem in finding. Zelena would say something obnoxious like, _you can talk to me you know?_ Or perhaps she would flirt with the girl and make her laugh, but the thought of doing just that had Regina retreat her hand from the spot that was suddenly too hot. It was no secret that she found Emma attractive, but Regina had also reminded herself that Emma was the first elf she had seen alive after coming out of the Snow Kingdom, tears streaking down her face and sorrow heavy in her heart. The poor girl had been stumbling through the forest, her heartbreaking sobs enough to have Regina pause in her gait toward an aimless nowhere and watch as the elf removed the jewellery from her hair and pulled her cloak tighter around herself.

Regina hadn’t seen much through the overgrowth of the path, but had followed Emma ever since, taken care of her despite the lack of knowledge she had on the woman other than she had come from somewhere near the Snow kingdom.

“We should leave now if we want to make good time. We’ve wasted enough already” Her voice was rough when she used it next, the realisation that she had been indeed right about Emma’s origin setting a lump in her throat. Despite her betrothed being lifeless, Regina had admitted to herself that she was beautiful. Her eyes were a light blue, hair a golden hue, and her oval face encased the sweetest rose petal lips she hadn’t the heart to kiss. She was stunning, the princess of the Snow Kingdom, but Regina could say no more for her fiancée that existed outside those unmoving moments.

Offering her hand to Emma, Regina wondered if soulmates chosen by elders was a way of pairing together personalities only to keep an orderly house. She had seen the way pairs seemed to revolve around each other, every one working flawlessly, but what if… what if now they were all scattered and had lost their system; would they be just as chaotic as humans, would they take any other elf they could find amongst the scarcity of them and pair for the sake of it? Was this what she was contemplating with Emma by finding her fascinating?

Dropping Emma’s hand once they were walking again, this time her own magic sweeping behind them to cover their tracks, Regina found herself lost within a myriad of thoughts that pulled her deeper within herself, the brooding she was often so fond of eclipsing her warrior instinct by failing to notice a trail that followed them despite precautions, an orange in his hand that he peeled as he watched the pair, his eyes glittering in interest at the bounty he could fetch for soulmates who could produce a whole army of elves for his majesty.

 

(x)(x)(x)

 

“Now you come with us and we’ll leave your beloved unharmed” The masked man said, his hand shaking from where he pointed a sword at Emma, her cheeks stained with tears she couldn’t explain.

Her first instinct had been to deny that Regina was her beloved, but the seriousness of said woman’s injury prevented her form focusing on anything other than the large growing stain on the elf’s vest.

“Go to hell” Regina spat, still conscious and fighting against the blurry edges of her vision, her fingers attempting to grasp and lift the sword within her reach that failed to do more than look like a pretty ornament the moment Emma collapsed atop her, dainty hands still pressed to her wound despite her unconsciousness.

“You bastards!” It was the last word she got in before the pommel of the masked man’s sword cracked against her skull too, Emma’s blood mingling with her own as they were tossed unceremoniously into the back of a cruelly enclosed cage to be escorted to the king himself.

Surprisingly, it was Regina who woke first, the bumpy ride of the carriage pulling her from a dreamless state to instead press her palm against her head, a small swollen lump forming where she had been hit. Her hand went to the wound at her side next, feeling around for the arrow that Emma must’ve removed, the flow of blood now stopped and flesh stitched back together by a magic only elves possessed.

 _Stupid girl_ , Regina thought, knowing now that Emma had refused to fight their attackers in favour of healing her. What affection did the golden haired elf have toward her that warranted such a strong emotional response? Sighing into the dark space, Regina let her fingers run though the slightly mattered hair of her companion, wincing when she felt the cut on her head that would no doubt leave a mark.

“Emma” she called gently, shaking the other elf awake. Emma for her part stirred, her eyes large and strikingly green this close to Regina, but the warrior elf simply darted her gaze away and sat up straighter against the wooden wall of their cage.

“Regina? Are you alright?!” The gasping desperation to which Emma reached for Regina’s side, her fingers probing along the healed flesh sent a pleasant emotion fluttering through the warrior’s chest. She was not unused to such attentions being the youngest princess to the Mill kingdom, but after she had stepped down from her title to instead take up a sword, Regina could count on one hand the affectionate display of such blatant emotions directed to her since then. It surprised her to know she had become so important to the girl who only knew her for two days, but then again, Regina knew that Emma was aware of the weeks they spent together walking silently through the forest without ever interacting.

“I would heal you, but I haven’t the energy to access my magic” Regina sounded apologetic, but the shake of Emma’s head and the tears in her eyes seemed forgiving enough for Regina to exhale and search around them for any stray weapon their kidnappers may have left lying around.

There was none.

“You could have died! What were you thinking jumping in front of the arrow like that?!” The harsh whisper of Emma’s words had Regina snap her gaze to the other elf, her eyebrows pulled up in an expression that relayed more than she cared to.

“Anyone would have done it” She carelessly tossed behind her shoulder once she turned around, her fingers searching the wooden walls for any weaknesses she could pound against to gain freedom.

“No, they wouldn’t have” Emma replied back dryly, the truth of her statement making Regina move to the other side of the enclosure quickly, trying to look as though she were too busy to respond. Naturally the best response would have been to point out her training as a warrior and the instinct to protect civilians, but with Emma, the thought of her dying, of her being non-existent was too painful. She had jumped in front of that arrow out of an irrational selfishness that was now thrumming within her veins. They needed a way out of the moving box, and if these people were bounty hunters like she assumed, then their magic would only bounce off the wooden walls and absorb the energy instead.

“Do you have anything sharp on you?” Regina asked, patting herself down only to come up dry.

An arrowhead was pushed in her face, Regina gasping at the closeness of the object before it was turned over in Emma’s palm to be handed over safely. “Why do you even have this?” Her whisper was disbelieving, but the relief at having something useful was more rewarding to Emma when she heard it in Regina’s voice.

“I took it out when...” Her voice trailed off in the end, the splatters of blood on the weapon enough for Regina to know that it had been imbedded within her skin.

“Thank you” The softness of those two words, the meaning behind it burrowing deeper than Emma could comprehend had a touch of a smile grace her lips. It was the first time she smiled meaningfully since her family had been attacked, and it remained on her face even as Regina crawled along the edge of the cage with only a huff of frustration to greet them.

“I can’t believe this. After everything… I had to get captured now” Muttering under her breath so low she was sure Emma would have missed it, the dark haired elf stashed the arrowhead away in her boot and leaned back against the moving cage, the dark between the two occupants slowly growing the longer the silence did between them.

“What debt did you have toward the Snow Kingdom?” Emma asked after tense filled moments of silence.

Regina was surprised at the question but decided that should they be separated and used as blood bags, then she might as well bare her heart out now. “My betrothed belonged to that Kingdom. I couldn’t save her in time… I could save anyone in time”. A touch to her hand had Regina look up into the dark green of Emma’s eyes, an empathy within them that she longed to drown in.

“You saved _me_ ” she said sincerely, and Regina couldn’t help but quirk her lips upward in appreciation for the comfort Emma seemed naturally inclined to give.

“Do you…?”

“Hmm?” Emma prompted, her fingers still wrapped around Regina’s wrist as they sat side by side in the moving carriage.

“Do you have a mate?”

Emma smiled at the question, her fingers slipping down to rest in Regina’s palm instead, a nostalgia crossing her features as she spoke, “My mother had come into my bedchambers the morning she was killed. She was so excited;” The elf paused, swallowing thickly before continuing, “She told me that the elders had found me a mate, but I hadn’t gotten any more information from her other than my mate being a woman and apparently perfect by my mother’s standards. I don’t even know if she’s alive”

Regina squeezed Emma’s fingers silently, conveying her empathy at the loss that resonated with her own. It was only until she thought on the story further did Regina become intrigued again. “Bedchambers?” She asked incredulously, “Where you a noble by any chance?”

“Better” Emma laughed, turning to regard Regina more fully, the smile on her lips mocking, “A Princess”

Regina’s smile which mirrored Emma’s own began to fall, her brows creasing in confusion over the new piece of information that didn’t seem to make sense. “No, I’ve seen the princess… she’s— ” _dead_ , Regina wanted to say, but instead settled for “not you”

“Well, there are two of us” Emma supplied, her lopsided grin making Regina frown even more. “My younger twin Elsa was declared the heir to the Kingdom rather than me. She had better focus I think, which is why they must’ve found me a mate before her” The chuckle attached to the end of her sentence was not echoed, Regina’s lips instead parted and eyes anguished.

“Two of you?” She whispered, angling her body toward Emma, unable to comprehend the possibility, the attraction that was suddenly warranted. “but I… mother never told me. She should have told me!”

“Hey, it’s not a big deal now is it? The kingdom is gone and… what does it matter anyways?” Emma cupped Regina’s cheek to try and focus her darting eyes, to even out her erratic breathing. Whatever she tried only seemed to make Regina even more restless, her bottom lip wobbling and tears spilling out from her eyes in the same inexplicable way Emma had wept over Regina’s injured form. The only thing she could think of doing was wrap her arms around the other elf, hold her close as if she were trying to keep the other woman from shattering.

“I am betrothed to the Princess of the Snow Kingdom, a girl with golden hair and a hapless attitude I’m told; perfect for my uneven temper”. When Regina had stopped crying out in relief and a rush of emotions she couldn’t contain, the words spilled from her lips in a hopeful rasp of a whisper that met only silence from her travelling companion.

“You said you saw the princess” Emma spoke quietly, blinking down to look at the hay littered floor of their cage instead, “What did she look like?”

“Blonde. Blue eyes, an oval face and sapphires in her hair”

“That’s my sister, I had pink diamonds in mine” Lifting her chain from where it dangled inside her dress, Emma lifted it up for Regina to inspect, her eyes clouded over and fingertips brushing along the stones as if it were worth more than the blood that ran in her veins.

“I’m sorry” Regina said softly, lifting her eyes to meet Emma’s, “I found her in your castle… she was drained”

Emma could only nod at the information, the confirmation of her fears too surreal to have her mourn the loss of her sister in the company of her supposed mate. Silently, without asking permission or assuming outcomes to a situation untouched, Emma brought the fingertips of her right hand up to press against Regina’s left, the psychic energy between them transferring through the light delicate touch.

For a moment, Emma could feel nothing, and then there was a burst of light and colour that swirled around her in an ecstatic dance of two souls meeting. She felt rather than saw the string of pulsing energy around her, Regina’s matching her own wavelength in a synergy that promised a child should they want one.

“ _I’m so happy you’re alive_ ” She heard, the relief of her mate’s feelings engulfing her in its purple glow of Regina’s energy

“ _I’m conflicted_ ” she confessed, “ _I’m happy I am not alone, but saddened that my destiny has me live happily with my mate when my family is dead_ ”

“ _Hush_ ” Regina whispered soothingly, their energies dancing around each other, caressing as if it were a hug, “ _They would be proud that their sacrifice would be honoured by their daughter’s happiness. I imagine them disappointed if you were to suffer after them_ ”

Emma sighed, accepting that destiny had a way of working that the elders understood. Would they have to be the elders now that it was known that the King attacked them first?

“ _Not yet_ ” Regina laughed, their connection severed the moment Emma pulled her hand away, forgetting that everything was open in the psychic connection; thoughts, feelings, memories, they all swirled together to leave the person naked with their intentions. It was why most elves greeted in such a way, to show no harm and a lack of secrets between each other that served to keep peace.

“Mother was right” Emma said out loud, comfortable in the embrace she found herself in, her head tucked between Regina’s neck and shoulder, “You are perfect for me”

Regina’s reply died on the tongue the moment the carriage stopped, her fingers curling around the arrowhead she retrieved from her boot and her other hand pushing Emma back away from the entrance to the cage. She had found her betrothed without meaning to, kept her safe and sane by some cosmic reason—Regina was not going to lose her now over a few oranges and her distracted thoughts.

When the door opened, the two bounty hunters expecting an injured Regina and meek Emma, they were unprepared for the arrowhead that pierced the closest one’s eye, the sword pulled from the other one and driven into his companion. Regina was quick, quick enough to kick out at the bigger man, sword being pulled from his dead partner’s stomach and slashed across his arm as he held it up to defend himself.

He was big enough to smack Regina to the side when he managed to make contact with her, but he didn’t bargain for Emma to pat his dead partner down and retrieve from him a short sword, one that was pushed into his leg with a protective anger he hadn’t expected to come from the crying blonde.

“I’m sorry” Regina breathed, bringing the pommel of the sword down on the man who clutched his leg, his eyes rolling back until he slumped forward unconscious.

“Are you alright?” Emma asked, rushing to her side to check for any injuries.

“I’m fine” Regina replied, touching the blonde elf’s cheek affectionately before moving to collect any weapons the men had on them. It would do no good to waste resources when they still had a long way to go.

Carriage unhinged from the cage and now far lighter, Regina snapped the reigns attached to the two horses and looked ahead to the road that would take them to Pearlwaters; Emma however, looked back at the castle of the evil King that stood too close to them for comfort. Gripping Regina’s thigh in reassurance, Emma looked ahead with her mate, excited at the prospects of their future now that they had each other.

 

(x)(x)(x)

 

“The price is steep” The old witch warned, a twinkle in her eyes when she watched the way the dark haired elf held the hand of the golden haired royal, “Are you sure you’re willing to sacrifice everything for this?”

Emma looked to Regina for an answer, hoping that she would help her make a decision when it had to ultimately be her own.

They had arrived at Pearlwaters two days after their run in with the bounty hunters, their coats pulled tightly around them and the insignia of the King branded on the horses enough for them to pass borders without too much questioning. It was within those two days that Regina learnt of Emma’s fondness for the colour yellow, her secret fascination with warriors (she had blushed so hard at hearing that Emma found them attractive, she had to pull over for a few seconds to gather herself), the way she always aimed to please people but thought she had failed to do so with her mischievous tendencies.

Emma had learnt of Regina’s yearning to protect her people instead of sit behind a desk and negotiate, had marvelled at the way she gave up luxuries of a princess and took on the harsh training of a soldier. She had learnt that Regina’s temper came from the expectations placed upon her by her mother, the teasing that prodded at Regina’s serious personality by her sister, and the kindness that kept her intact from her father. There were little things she noticed too, things that had her melt under the shine of Regina’s appraising eyes and shiver at the innocent touches the other elf seemed eager to give.

The two days were precious, contained within a bubble of safety Emma wanted to secure for their entire lives, but the moment they arrived, the old witch had ushered them inside and told them of the man they had failed to kill, how he had riled the King’s men against them and that the danger they had avoided would be at their doorstep sooner or later. A simple cloaking spell over their ears and magic wouldn’t help them now, not when the King wanted them for their ability to produce more elves for his selfish reasons.

If they wanted to live happily, they would need to go far away.

A place with a price so steep, it left Emma afraid of the unknown.

“Give us a minute to decide” Regina told the witch in a rasp, her eyes troubled and grip on Emma’s hand too tight. Once the witch had left to tend to her back garden and given them the privacy they needed, Regina turned to Emma and cupped her cheek, her eyes shiny and smile not quite genuine enough.

“It is a lot to put faith in” She said softly, fingers tucking a piece of golden hair behind Emma’s ears, “but I am willing to give this a chance, to give _us_ hope”

“I love you” Emma blurted out, stepping forward into Regina’s space, her green eyes blinking desperately at Regina’s brown. “I can’t—I can’t picture being somewhere else without you, or not remembering you at all, or—”

Emma’s rant was cut off with a soft kiss to her lips, her body moulding into Regina’s as they stood in the small cramped space of the witch’s hovel, her mind melting into a pot of emotions that swirled until there was only one thought _: Regina_.

Breaking free from the kiss, Regina leant her forehead against the other elf’s, a sad smile on her lips that spoke of an apology and not quite the one Emma would have expected. “I had hoped our first kiss would have been at our wedding, not like this…”

“You will have many more to make it up to me with. I expect nothing less than sickening romance at our _next_ first kiss”

Regina’s eyebrows quirked upwards, light filling her eyes again at the possibility, the hope of there being more than just the one desperate kiss, of more I love you’s that spoke of a contentedness instead of fearful regret. “It will” she promised, kissing Emma’s forehead before turning toward the witch who stood in the doorway, nodding her consent to a price that held their futures.

 

(x)(x)(x)

 

Emma woke with a start, the sound of something beeping dragging her from an icy slumber into the blinding light of too much white.

She jerked up, a pain in her side unbearable but only barely holding her back as she searched the small space with her eyes frantically, looking everywhere for her mate that should have been with her. A small voice in the back of her head registered that the witch had said nothing of them being together, but rather their own behinds saved from the King who wanted too much from them.

“Regina!” She yelled out, a choking sob falling from her lips as she desperately struggled against both the pain and transparent-like rope keeping her in place.

“Mrs Nolan-Suarez!” She heard, her head snapping up at the sound of a woman berating her, hoping for an aimless second for it to be Regina, but Emma was disappointed when it turned out to be someone else instead.

“Please, stay still and let me make sure you aren’t hurt. It will only help you if you do”

“No!” Emma cried, trying to move her legs but finding that she could only move one of them, the other useless and tied up in some sort of white plaster, “I need to see Regina, where is Regina?!”

“Doctor!” The woman called, only alerting more people to the small white room that were dressed strangely, looking excitable as if they had found something worthy after years of mundane work. In fact, these people looked just the way she imagined the King would after finding them. Oh Gods! Did he find them? Did the witch lie to them for gold?

“Please” she begged, “I need to see her”

“It’s a miracle” One of the men in the corner said quietly, another moving toward her with an instrument she didn’t understand.

“I promise, you can see your wife as soon as possible. You just need to lie back down for me, yes, that’s it” The soothing voice of the doctor (Emma knew that now, this man with a white coat was a doctor, the woman by her side was a nurse, the things beeping were machines) had Emma lean back, allowing the nurse to feed her a few ice chips before she looked at the man desperately, his smile turning from her to the door where a small woman sat in a wheelchair, her arm in the same plaster as Emma’s leg and her head bandaged almost entirely.

The tears came without permission, Emma’s arms opening to awkwardly engulf Regina in a hug, relief evident on both their faces. Thereafter, with the little reunion and doctors moving about the both of them, Emma and Regina were separated for a long time until they were lying side by side in hospital beds wheeled in next to each other, the room dark and the sound of their breathing the only thing echoing between them.

“It worked” Regina said softly

“It did” Emma agreed, a smile on her face from the two sets of memories that weaved in with each other.

“That witch was good” The darker haired woman chuckled, turning her head to face Emma properly, “she made sure we came to this world as wives”

Emma laughed with her, the sound melodic when their laughter intertwined as such. “They loved each other very much didn’t they?” She asked, reaching across to grip Regina’s good hand, their fingertips only able to touch, but this time no psychic connection initiated between them.

“Just as we do” Regina whispered, undecided on whether she was glad or depressed at the lack of magic in this world.

“Just as we do” Emma echoed, her eyes closing along with Regina’s just as the morphine kicked in.

 

(x)(x)(x)

 

_1 Year later._

“Em?” Regina called, her heeled feet clicking against the wooden floors as she walked, earring fasted just before she could enter the master bedroom where Emma sat at the edge of the bed, buckling her shoe with the sleeve of her dress falling off her shoulder.

“My my, aren’t you a sight”

“Is that a compliment or insult?” Emma asked, a smirk at the edges of her lips when she looked up to greet Regina’s purr, the sight of her wife in a figure hugging purple dress making her mouth water.

“Marian would say it as an insult” Regina quipped, pulling Emma’s sleeve back up on her shoulder, “Kathryn was always so much elegant than this”

“And Regina?” Emma asked, standing to her full height, her heels allowing her to press a kiss to Regina’s forehead without straining to do so.

“My clumsy, wild princess is more than enough for me” The whisper caught in Regina’s throat, the nostalgia of wielding a sword, of using her magic and the family that perished before them palpable in the air around them.

“Regina” Emma sighed, rubbing her hands up and down Regina’s bare arms, “there was nothing left for us back home, the price of our bodies was more than worth it. We have a life together here, running water and safety within our home. Don’t you like not having to fight against something all the time?”

“It’s not _our_ home” Regina snapped, her jaw tense and temper flaring. She knew Emma knew what she was talking about. The price wasn’t only their bodies, wasn’t only everything material about themselves so their souls could travel through realms; it was about the bodies they had invaded, the memories they now had from a couple who was so unlike them, and yet everything like them.

“You heard what the doctor said, Regina. Marian and Kathryn… they met a really bad accident, they—they _died_. These memories aren’t them, we don’t have their feelings or thoughts, just a few things to help us fit in. When I see you”, Emma said, pulling Regina closer toward her, “I see Regina of the Mill kingdom, my warrior princess with emeralds in her hair and a haughty attitude of self-righteousness. Everyone else may see Marian Nolan-Suarez, you may even see her face in the mirror, but I see _you_. The same way you see me and not Kathryn”

Closing her eyes against the argument that always brewed between them but never spoken about, Regina fell into Emma’s strong arms and breathed in the scent of lavender and something distinctly Emma that she hadn’t lost despite being in a different body. Her mate was right, they had a safe haven now, a place of wonder in its own league. They had paid the price, endured the pain, the physical therapy that Marian and Kathryn themselves had decided was not worth living for, and now they had the reward of the company of each other for years to come.

“I love you” Regina whispered, the three words she avoided for an entire year making Emma smile until it reached her eyes, the very same forest green others now saw as blue.

“I love you too” Emma whispered back, leaning in for a kiss that was interrupted by the sound of incessant knocking on their door.

“Are we expecting company?” Regina asked as she followed Emma through the Victorian style house, their hurried steps to the door opening to reveal a basket at their doorstep, a child swaddled within.

“No” Emma answered, bending down to pick the letter tucked inside the child’s blanket, a promise fulfilled passed onto Regina who read it with wide eyes.

“Can we keep him?” Regina asked, an eagerness on her face that mirrored the memories Kathryn had of Marian when they walked in the park past the playground.

All Emma could do was laugh as Regina picked the child up from the basket and brought him inside, the note completing the bargain they had made with the old witch in exchange for everything material in their realm.

_Your child born from your energy, as promised._

“Henry” Regina uttered to the yawning babe, pressing a kiss to his cheek, his blanket dragging along with him to reveal paperwork legalising an adoption of one Henry Nolan-Suarez.

 

 


End file.
